Another Family Member
by kimmiirockz
Summary: Hikaru and Kaoru's mother get's engaged and their new soon-to-be step-sister is transferring to Ouran High School. What happens when she meets the Host Club? Will she figure out Haruhi's secret? Which of the Hosts will fall for this strange girl? Sorry, I kinda suck at descriptions. Mori x OC Tamaki x Haruhi Rated T for potential language and explicit actions. PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

"Wow." I said as I drove up the driveway to my future step-mom's house. Except it wasn't really a house, it was a mansion. As I was parking, my dad opened the front doors and waited patiently for me to get out of the car. Taking a deep breath, I unbuckled and jumped out of my precious, beat up old truck that I had lovingly christened Merde, since I'd built it myself out of spare parts.

"Hey daddy." I called as I straightened the dress my dad had insisted I wear. It was pink, had way too many ruffles, and showed WAY too much cleavage. He smiled and enveloped me in a tight bear hug.

"Hello Princess! I missed you." my dad said as he released me. I'd been in Dublin, Ireland for the past six months working as an intern at a car manufacturing company as a mechanical engineer. It had been heaven, until I got the call that I had to move to Japan to live with my soon-to-be step-mother and step-brothers.

"I missed you too, Daddy. How do I look? Like I belong in a mansion like this?" I asked him, stepping back.

"Perfect." he said, brushing my bangs behind my ear. They stayed there for less than five seconds before falling back in front of my face. I had dark brown hair that fell past my waist. My bangs constantly fell in front of my face and curled around my jaw line. Usually I pulled my hair back in either a braid or a pony-tail, but today I'd brushed it out and let it hang loose. In contrast to my dark hair, I had rather light skin, thanks to always being inside my garage, the library or work. I had the same emerald eyes that my father had. Unlike my father, who was a giant at 6'10", I was a munchkin at 5'2".

Taking my hand, my father led me into the mansion. The hallways were elegantly decorated, and each room looked fancier than the last. How was I going to fit in here? Me with my oil stained jeans and addiction to potato chips?

"Here we are." My dad said, stopping in front of a large set of doors. I smiled nervously at him. "Don't worry," he said. "They're going to love you." _Here's hoping_, I thought as my dad pushed open the doors.

We were in an elegant dining room, with a ceiling at least thirty feet high. There was a long, oak table in the middle of the room, with a glass chandelier hanging above it. Sitting at the table, there was a woman about my dad's age. She was really pretty for a women her age, and she had a kind face. Sitting across from her there were two orange haired boys. They turned around when we opened the door and I saw that they were twins.

"Hello!" the woman said, standing up and walking over towards me. "I'm Yuzuha Hitachiin, and these are my sons, Hikaru and Kaoru. It's so nice to finally meet you Arianna. Your father has told me so much about you. Come, come. Sit down." she said, guiding me to a seat next to one of the twins. They stared at me as if I was a new toy, curiosity and excitement in their eyes.

"Hello. Nice to meet you." The twins said in unison.

"H-hi." I said, stuttering a little. This place was so overwhelming. "Which one of you is Kaoru and which on is Hikaru?" I asked them. They smiled a little, but it seemed a little rueful. As if they were used to it, but it hurt a little bit each time someone asked.

"I'm Kaoru." said the one sitting next to me.

"And I'm Hikaru." said the other one.

"It's nice to meet you." I said, making a mental note of difference between the two I could use to keep track of which was which. Like how Hikaru's hair was parted to the right side and Kaoru's hair was parted to the left. Or how Hikaru's voice was just a shade deeper than Kaoru's.

"Well, who's hungry?" Yuzuha asked. The boys nodded and my dad smiled widely at me. I managed to reciprocate with a small smile. Yuzuha rang a bell that was sitting beside her plate and three servers carried in tray after tray. I looked at all the food on the table and felt a little sick. There were steaks, a huge platter of shrimp, clams and oysters and what looked like caviar and calamari. Fortunately for me, there was a large salad bowl, some asparagus spears and a loaf of french bread. I took some of those and started nibbling on my bread. After looking down at my plate, I felt a slight sense of despair. There were at least four forks and three different types of spoons and I had no idea which one I was supposed to use for what.

"The one farthest from the plate is for salad." Kaoru quietly whispered to me. I smiled my thanks and began to eat.

"Arianna, you hardly have anything on your plate. You aren't on a diet or anything are you? You have a beautiful physique darling, you can eat as much as you want." Yuzuha said. I felt myself blush as I tried to explain.

"Oh, no, I'm not- I'm just, um, I'm a vegetarian." I explained rather ineloquently. They stared at me for a minute before Hikaru broke the silence.

"Why?" he asked, as if there was no fathomable reason not to eat meat. I turned an even darker shade of red.

"My best friend's grandpa used to live above a butcher's shop. Every day after school I'd go with him to visit his grandfather and we'd have to walk through that shop. One day we saw the butcher decapitate a pig. Most disgusting thing I've ever seen. Haven't eaten meat since." I explained._ Dammit!_ I thought. _Not the best dinner conversation._

"I'm sorry, if I'd have known that you were a vegetarian I would have selected a more suitable menu." Yuzuha said.

"Oh, it's fine. I'm used to it. You don't have to plan meals around me being a vegetarian. Really, it happens all the time. I always find something to eat." I tried to calm her, but she'd already rung the bell and requested something vegetarian be prepared.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary." I said a bit loudly.

"Oh but-" Yuzuha started.

"Thank you, but it's not necessary." I repeated firmly. She nodded and we all sat there quietly for a moment.

"So, your father tells us that you were in Ireland for the past few months. How was it?" Kaoru asked, filling the silence.

"It was good. I was interning at a car manufacturing company as a mechanical engineer." I said. Their blank stares prompted me to continue, "I helped desigd the car engines. It was fun." I explained.

"What about school?" Hikaru asked.

"Arianna's already graduated." he said. He loved to brag about it, though it made me uncomfortable.

"I graduate last year. I'm planning on taking a few college courses here while I apply for a new resident internship." I said. My dad cleared his throat.

"Ari, I was thinking you could actually go to Ouran High School with Hikaru and Kaoru this year." he said. I stared at him in disbelief. "Not for a full year, not if you don't want to. It's just that, well, this school has so many amazing oppertunities and clubs and activities. Just try it for a few months. That's all I'm asking."

"Okay," I said, "But only for a month. Then I get to do whatever I want?" I asked. He nodded.

"Don't worry," Kauro said. "I think you'll like it at Ouran High School."


	2. Chapter 2

"Miss Lovelace?" I heard an unfamiliar voice wake me up. I rolled over in the huge bed that was now mine and I groaned. I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and looked around at my new room.

Last night after dinner, the moving truck with all my things arrived and I moved in to my new room. The room was like an apartment. When you walked in it was a big open space with a large T.V., a table and a black couch in the middle of it. Off to the right there was a smaller area that contained my queen sized bed. My dad knew me well and had a bunch of pillows already stacked on the bed when I got there. Two rooms broke off from the bed room, the walk-in closet, which had been stocked with every piece of clothing that Yuzuha had designed in my size, and the bathroom. There was one of those large, jacuzzi-like bathtubs, and a shower, which I discovered could do things like have several streams of water going at once, remained a constant temperature for at least two hours and could become a small steam room. Along the other wall of the bathroom there was a long counter top with a large mirror above it. Off to the left of the main room, there were two other rooms. One was my own personal library, filled with all of my books and a bunch of first, second and third editions of famous classics. The other room was a work room. It had a huge desk that stretched from one side of the room to another. There was a light box, and a plentifully stocked drafting station. Sitting on one of the several work benches, there were the engines that I'd been working on in Ireland. This room was so amazing! I had stayed up til two in the morning going through the library and flipping through the channels on the giant T.V., so I was pretty tired.

"Miss Lovelace, is there anything that I can get you?" the voice said again. I looked to my left and saw a girl, maybe in her early twenties standing there.

"No, thank you. What time is it?" I asked the maid. She checked her watch.

"It's seven o'clock. Ouran High School starts at eight, and I didn't know how much time you needed to get ready." she said nervously, like I was going to yell at her.

"Thanks for waking me up. An hour is perfect." I said. She nodded, relieved.

"Would you like me to fetch you some breakfast while you get ready? We already have coffee cake and cinnamon rolls made, but I could ask Chef to make you whatever you want." she said. I was about to tell that it was alright, she didn't need to do that, my stomach betrayed me and grumbled loudly.

"Coffee cake does sound really good," I admitted. "and could you make me a cup of tea too, please?". She nodded and smiled. "Thanks." I said. I untangled myself from my sheets and stumbled over to the bathroom. After a quick shower I was much more awake. The maid had brought in my breakfast on a silver tray, and set it on the table in the living room area. She'd also hung up the yellow dress that was my new school uniform. I cringed at its yellowness. _I really hate yellow_, I thought as I slid the dress on. I went through my book bag, checking and double checking to make sure I had everything I needed, then I threw in a pair of jeans and a black tank top for after school. I ate most of the coffee cake, and drank most of the tea but I felt like I was going to throw up. I hadn't had the first day of school jitters in over two years, and I was especially nervous about today for some reason. As I was about to leave, I realized that no one had ever told me about which shoes I should wear. So I shoved my feet into my black converse before leaving the room.

After about two minutes of wandering through the giant halls, I realized that I was hopelessly lost. _This place is a freaking maze!_ I thought as I turned down another hallway.

"Are you lost?" someone asked. I jumped and turned around. Kaoru and Hiakru were standing behind me.

"A bit." I admitted.

"Come with us, we'll show you the way to the main hall. We were looking for you, actually." Hikaru said.

"We wondered if you were going to ride with us to school today." Kaoru said.

"I was actually planning on driving myself. My dad gave me directions last night." I said. The twins looked at each other, surprised.

"You drive?" Hikaru asked. I nodded.

"What were you planning on driving there?" Kaoru asked.

"My truck. It's the really old truck out front." I replied. The twins looked at each other for a moment, then a somewhat mischievous grin illuminated both their faces. I couldn't tell if they just always looked mischievous and their grin was totally innocent, or they were planning some trick.

"Will you give us a ride, then?" Hikaru asked.

"We've never ridden in a truck before." Kaoru explained.

"And we've never seen anyone drive, either." Hikaru added. I looked at them in amazement.

"How have you never seen anyone drive before?" I asked, incredulous. The boys looked a little sheepish when they answered.

"Well, we always ride in the family limo." Hikaru started.

"And there's always a tinted window separating us from the chauffeur." Kaoru finished.

"I don't mind giving you a ride to school, but I kinda have plans for after, so I can't bring you back. Is that okay?" I asked. They nodded and each took one of my arms. Like this, they led me through the house until we were at the front door. My dad had come out to see us off. The twins looked surprised to see him.

"Good-bye, Princess. Have a good day at school, and please, try to enjoy it." he said as he gave me a tight hug.

"I'm not making any promises," I warned as I hugged him back. "But I'll try." We broke apart and he looked at the boys.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, you two have a good day as well." he told them, smiling. Still seeming a little shocked, they replied.

"Thank you, sir. And you as well." They said politely and in unison.

"Bye Daddy!" called over my shoulder as I walked out the door, the twins following close behind. I strode over to my truck and unlocked the door.

"This is your car?" Hikaru asked. He seemed a little, well, revolted at the idea of getting in it. Kaoru put on a brave face and stepped closer to it.

"It may not look like much, but that's only because I had to replace the right door and the hood. Don't worry, it runs much better than it looks." I said I climbed in my truck. I unlocked the other side and pushed the front seat down, so they could sit in the back. Hikaru climbed in the back, and Kaoru sat up front with me.

"Ready?" I asked after they were both buckled. They nodded and I started the engine. Obviously it was louder than they expected it to be because they both jumped.

"What was that?" Hikaru asked. "Did it break?" I laughed.

"No, it turned on." I explained as I put the truck in reverse. Both of them seemed pretty scared at first, probably thinking I was going to kill them, but after five minutes of not hitting anything, they began to relax. Then Kaoru started messing with my dashboard.

"What does this do?" he asked, pushing a button.

"CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES, THIS IS MY LAST RESORT! SUFFOCATION, NO BREATHING-" Last Resort by Papa Roach blared out of the speakers.

"Sorry." I said as I turned the volume down. "I was jamming out yesterday." I smile sheepishly at the shocked expression on Kaoru's face. Obviously, neither of them had ever listened to rock.

"Let's listen to the radio instead." I suggested, turning the radio on and switching it to my third preset, which was the classical station. Soft violin music wafted from the speakers this time. I felt Kaoru and Hikaru stare at me as we rode the rest of the way in silence. I pulled into a parking spot and helped the Hikaru out. As we started towards the school, Kaoru gasped.

"What are you wearing?" he exclaimed, staring at my converse clad feet.

"Shoes?" I replied.

"Not those. You'd stick out like a sore thumb. Come one," he said, taking my hand. "We probably have more proper shoes in music room number three, don't we Hikaru?" Hikaru nodded and they led/dragged me into the school and through the halls until we reached music room number three. Kaoru poked his head through the door, then nodded at Hikaru. They pushed me into the room, then led me over to one of the doors. They opened it up and I saw that it was a huge closet, filled with a million costumes and shoes.

"What is this place?" I asked as Hikaru and Kaoru looked through the shelves.

"What size shoe do you wear?" Kaoru asked.

"Eight and a half. What is this place?" I asked again.

"This is where the Host Club stores all the costumes we've used or will use. Here." Hikaru said, handing me a pair of brown heels. I looked at them, then back at Hikaru.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'd kill myself in those. They're like, six-inch heels!" I told him.

"Try these then." Kaoru said, handing me pair of brown flats. I took off my converse and put the flats on.

"Thanks." I said. "Any other advice?" I asked. They looked at each other, then shook their heads. "Great." I said. A bell rang, signaling that school was starting and to go to your classrooms. My first day at Ouran High School had officially began.

* * *

"Hello there." somebody said to me. I looked up and saw a tall, blue-eyed and blonde haired boy standing beside me. "I've heard that it's your first day here at Ouran High School." he continued. I nodded. "Well, on behalf of the rest of the student body, welcome to Ouran!" he said, making quite a show out of it. "I'm Tamaki Suoh. It's nice to meet you." he said as he took my hand and kissed the back of it gently. I pulled my hand away as politely as I could. _Was this guy for real?_ I asked myself.

"Hello. I'm Arianna. Arianna Lovelace." I introduced myself, trying to think of a way to get him to leave me alone without being rude. He smiled widely and I heard a few sighs behind me. I turned around to see a crowd of girls swooning over him.

"Arianna. What a lovely name." he said. I smiled briefly.

"Thank you." I replied, struggling to think of something to say. "Are you french?" I blurted out. He looked a little shocked.

"Yes, I grew up in France, with my mother." he said, smiling. "How on earth did you know?" he asked. I shrugged.

"You have a bit of a french accent. I spent a few months in France with my Dad last year." I said, thinking back to our trip to France. We ate crepes every morning and he didn't work once the entire week. "Everyone who spoke English there sounded a bit like you. Your accent isn't that noticeable though." I told him. He nodded, apparently thinking. "Well, it was nice meeting you Tamaki, but I-" I started.

"You should meet Kyoya." Tamaki said suddenly, cutting me off. I didn't know who Kyoya was, and I didn't really want to. "Hey, Kyoya, come over here!" he called to a dark-haired boy sitting beside the window, who was writing something on a clip board. He glanced up at Tamaki and sighed before standing up and walking over to us.

"Yes, Tamaki? What is it?" he asked in a patient voice, as if he was used to this.

"This is Arianna." Tamaki said, gesturing to me. Kyoya studied me through his glasses and I blushed self-consciously.

"Hello Arianna, it's nice to meet you." he said kindly, flashing me a perfectly charming smile that must have taken years to perfect. "How do you like Ouran so far?" he asked.

"It's fine, I guess." I tried to be honest, without bashing the school. In truth, I hated being there. Everything was too fancy and I felt like I didn't belong. Plus, I had better things to do than review sophomore level classes. All things considered though, the school did have good teachers and nice students, so it wasn't that bad.

"You look familiar." Kyoya said. "Have we met before?" he asked. I tried to remember if I'd ever seen the solemn yet hansom face before me, but couldn't. Until, finally, it hit me.

"You went to Lovelace Academy when you were little, didn't you?" I asked. Lovelace Academy was a boarding school in England that was founded by my grandmother. Before the school was shut down a few years ago, I'd gone there until my fourth year, which was when I skipped a grade. There had been a boy there who studied harder than anyone I'd ever known, even harder than me. I used to stay inside during recess and either have tea with my grandmother or read in the library. I remembered seeing that boy in the library, studying, every time I stayed there during recess. Recognition illuminated his face and he smiled.

"Yes, I did. You were that girl who stayed inside during recess sometimes. Didn't you skip a grade?" he asked.

"Three." I corrected him automatically. Tamaki and Kyoya's eyes widened.

"Then why are you still in school? Shouldn't you have graduated last year?" Tamaki asked.

"I did graduate last year." I explained. "But my dad wanted me to try high school again, for the experience or something." They both just looked at me. I figured then was a good time to make my exit. "Well, it was nice meeting both of you, but-" I was cut off by the bell.

"That means it's time for lunch." Tamaki told me. "Do you want to join us?" he asked. Well, maybe Tamaki and Kyoya weren't my first choice, but they were nice enough and I didn't want to sit alone.

"Sure." I told them and we followed the rest of our classmates to the cafeteria. Once there, Tamaki explained how lunch worked at Ouran. There were two different ways to get your lunch. Either you told the woman at the desk your name and what you wanted to eat, then they charged the bill to your account, and called you up when your order was done. Or, you did it buffet style and took what you wanted, then told the woman at the desk your name and she charged it to your account. I opted for the second option, and Tamaki and Kyoya followed suit. I got a small salad, a plate of fettuccine alfredo, and a glass of water. They led me over to their usual table and we sat down.

A few minutes later, a short blonde boy and a tall dark-haired boy sat down beside Tamaki.

"Who's that?" the blonde one asked, staring at me.

"She's a new student. This is her first day at Ouran." Tamaki said.

"Hi. I'm Arianna." I introduced myself. The boy smiled widely, and the tall one nodded his head, which I assumed was his version of hello, nice to meet you.

"Hi! My name's Mitsukuni Haninozuka, but everyone calls me Honey. This is Takashi Moriozuka," he said, pointing to the tall dark-haired boy who came in with him. "Everyone calls him Mori. Do you have a nick name?" he asked.

"My friends call me Ari." I told him. I noticed Mori staring at me. I started to feel uncomfortable, but didn't say anything.

"Do you like cake?" Honey asked. I noticed that his plate was piled high with all sorts of sweets. I nodded. "What's your favorite ind of cake?" he asked. "Mine is strawberry. Do you want some?" I shook my head.

"Thanks, though. Mine is chocolate." I told him. Honey and Tamaki carried on most of the conversation for a while, until I heard familiar voices behind us.

"Come on Haruhi," Kaoru said. "Let's go sit with the rest of the Host Club." I turned around to see Kaoru and Hikaru approaching the table with a short, brown-haired boy. He had really delicate features, and was very cute. Hikaru and Kaoru stopped short when they noticed me sitting there.

"What are you doing here?" Hikaru asked bluntly. Kaoru jabbed him in the side, probably thinking that I'd take offense. I didn't though.

"Eating." I replied, stating the obvious.

"You three know each other?" Tamaki asked. We nodded.

"She's our soon-to-be step-sister." Hikaru said.

"She moved in yesterday." added Kaoru. I felt the group stare at me, looking at me in a whole new light. Mori was still staring at me, but at least his gaze didn't feel judgmental, only curious.

"Well, Hi." the boy with short brown hair said, breaking the silence. "We haven't had a chance to be introduced yet. I'm Haruhi. And you are?"

"Her name's Arianna, but she likes to be called Ari." Honey said before I could say anything. "She's really smart! She's sixteen, but she skipped three grades and graduated last year. Her favorite flavor of cake is chocolate." Honey informed him. Haruhi smiled at me.

"It's nice to meet you, Haruhi." I told him. Haruhi sat down beside me, and the twins sat on the other side of him.

"So, why are you at Ouran if you've already graduated?" Haruhi asked.

"My dad wanted me to gain experience. I don't really understand why, but our deal was that I only had to go for a month, then I could leave if I decided to." I explained.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, you've been awfully quiet so far. Are you excited about getting a sister?" Tamaki asked. I glanced at the twins, curious about their reactions. Hikaru's face looked blank, as if trying not to show emotion, and Kaoru's looked like he was trying to fake excitement. I could tell neither of them really liked the situation, they just had too good of manners to tell me to my face. Tamaki realized this after they didn't respond right away and tried to change the subject before I could realize it as well. For some reason, I felt like I was about t cry. Which was stupid, I mean, I'd met them yesterday. Why should I care weather or not they wanted me in their family? I stood up and grabbed my tray off the table.

"I'm finished." I said. "Thank you for letting me sit with you today." I thanked them as I walked away. While I dumped my tray, I felt their eyes on my back. As I walked out of the dining area, I looked back at the table. They were all staring at me, but I walked away, as if I didn't have a care in the world.


	3. Chapter 3

I walked quickly down the hallway, the lump that had formed in my throat growing every second. I ducked into the first empty room I could find and cried. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes. Why did this bother me so much? I only had to put up with it for a month before I could leave again. Only one more month of being unwanted and in the way. The tears kept coming, however, and no matter what I did they wouldn't stop.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked me softly. I turned around and saw Mori standing by the door. Sniffling, I wiped my eyes and nodded.

"I'm fine." I told him. I could tell he didn't believe me. Instead, he strode over to where I was sitting, crouched beside me and handed me a kleenex. "Thanks." I said. He just nodded. We sat there for a while, not talking. The bell rang.

"We should get to class." he said when the bell rang. I nodded and Mori stood up. He held out his hand and I took it, and he helped me up off the floor.

"Um... Can you walk me to my classroom? I have no idea how to get there." I admitted. Directions and navigation were not my strong suit. He nodded and started walking. I followed close behind. We walked silently, and he periodically checked behind him to make sure I was following. When he stopped I almost ran into him. He turned around and pointed to a door on his left. Sure enough, it was my classroom. I looked through the open door and saw Tamaki and Kyoya waiting by my desk.

"Thank you." I said. Mori nodded and walked away. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the room and started toward my seat.

"Ari! There you are! Look, what happened at lunch-" Tamaki started, but I cut him off before he could finish.

"Doesn't matter. I didn't ask for a new family either, but we're stuck with each other anyway. If surviving our parents marriage means me leaving them alone and vise versa, so be it." I told him. Tamaki looked surprised.

"That's not what family's about! Family is supposed to overcome their difference and love one another. Aren't they?" he asked. I shrugged. Once upon a time I probably would have said yes, but family wasn't exactly my highest priority anymore.

"Not necessarily." Kyoya said quietly. "Family can be many things. Family can mean that you have a duty, or it could mean you have people who care about you. Or it could mean you're stuck with people you'd really rather not be around." He added ruefully. I studied Kyoya. Obviously he had family issues, but what were they?

"For me, that person was step-mother number five." I told him. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "The person I got stuck with and really didn't want to be around. She was a total lush and yelled at her daughter constantly." I thought back to four years ago, the last time I had seen Celia or her daughter, Lacey. Lacey was six then. They were moving out, and Celia was not happy. She'd already had a few drinks to help her cope, and she was yelling at Lacey more than usual. I don't know what she said, but finally Lacey snapped and ran off crying. I followed her, and found her sitting in my closet crying. She sat in my lap and cried. I promised her that I'd check in on her. She's ten now and her mother's in a rehab clinic in New York. She lives with her father, who works as a teacher in Florida. She calls me once a week to tell me how she's been. I smiled at the memory of that sweet little girl being super excited to have a big sister.

"How many times has your dad remarried?" Kyoya asked. I counted silently.

"This will be the tenth." I told him. Hopefully this was the last one. Yuzuha wasn't like the other women my dad had married. She wasn't a trophy wife; she could take care of herself. She was also a lot nicer than most of the others. And she wasn't a lush or a control freak, so I was actually looking forward to their wedding. _And hopefully the last_, I thought.

"Tenth?" Tamaki repeated, shocked. I nodded. This seemed unusual to most people, but over time I became numb to the numbers. That's all they were to me now. Numbers.

"His marriages usually last about six or seven months, before he realizes he doesn't love them anymore. He usually meets the next wife during the finalization process of the divorce." I said. I thought about Yuzuha. "I hope this time isn't the same though. I like Yuzuha. She's nice." Kyoya studied me for a moment, before speaking.

"That explains it then." he said.

"Explains what?" I asked, confused.

"Why you aren't more stressed out about your situation, like Hikaru ad Kaoru are. It also explains why you don't put a high precedent on family. Yours is constantly changing, so you don't have time to forge bonds." he said, sounding like a psychologist.

"Bullshit." I replied blatantly. A few girls around us gasped when they heard me cuss. _Shit,_ I thought. _Not supposed to cuss around fancy people._ Kyoya stared at me. I continued.

"You don't know me. I AM stressed. I'm constantly freaking out, terrified that I'm going to do something stupid and make them hate me more than they already do. I just don't show it." I said.

"Why not? I'm sure that you could talk to your father about your concerns, couldn't you?" Kyoya pressed. I looked away.

"Dad's busy a lot. He has too much to worry about. I don't like stressing him out more than necessary." I said quietly. Kyoya leaned back in his chair, suddenly quiet. _Why did he care so much?_ I asked myself. The teacher walked in and Kyoya and Tamaki went back to their seats. The rest of the school day passed without anything noteworthy happening.

As I was leaving the classroom, someone bumped into me, sending me crashing to the floor and spilling the contents of my bag all over the floor.

"Sorry." The boy said as he helped me pick up my things. "What are these?" he asked picking up my converse.

"Shoes." I said, reaching out for them. He pulled them away.

"Hey guy, look at these! She had these in her book bag. Commoner shoes!" he called to his friends. They snickered and laughed.

"Give 'em back!" I said, reaching for them again, but he pulled them out of my reach. He tossed them to one of his friends and he tossed it to another.

"Knock it off!" I yelled, frustrated. The shoes were thrown again, but this time they were caught mid-air by Mori. He scowled at the boys and they took off running. He handed me the shoes.

"Thanks." I said, putting them back in my bag. He nodded and started to walk away. I remembered that the shoes I was wearing that were borrowed from music room three.

"Hey, Takashi?" I called after him. He turned around. "Can I ask a favor of you?" I asked. He nodded. "Can you show me where music room three is?" He seemed surprised by my request.

"I was on my way there now anyway." he said. He led me down grand hallway after grand hallway. Finally, we stopped at music room three. He held the door open for me and I stepped inside. The room was full of girls sitting at tables and drinking tea and eating dessert. I recognized Haruhi, sitting and talking to a group of girls. Tamaki was surrounded by a crowd of swooning girls. Honey was being fed pieces of cake by a group of girls who kept squealing and exclaiming "He's so cute!" Off in the corner, Kaoru and Hikaru were sitting close to each other, talking quietly while a group of girls watched nearby. Kyoya was sitting at one of the tables, writing on his clipboard. When Takashi and I entered, he looked up at us. Takashi led me over to Kyoya's table.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Kyoya asked. "Are you here to join in on the club's festivities? You didn't really strike me as that sort of girl but-"

"Actually, I'm returning these." I cut him off, taking off the brown flats I'd borrowed and holding them up for him to see. He narrowed his eyes.

"Where'd you get those?" he demanded.

"Kaoru and Hikaru wouldn't let me wear my converse, so this morning before school started, the brought me here and told me to wear these." I explained. "What is this place?" I asked him.

"This," he said, gesturing widely to beautiful music room. "Is the Host Club."

"What's the Host Club?" I asked, unsure of weather or not I wanted to know.

"The Host Club is a group of young men who entertain the ladies of Ouran High School." Kyoya explained. "Tamaki is our founder." _That explained a lot,_ I thought, looking around.

"Can I go put these back now?" I asked. This place made me feel uncomfortable. I can't believe that this was the chosen pass time of Hikaru and Kaoru. Kyoya nodded and pointed to the door that led to where the costumes were kept.

"I know where it is!" I told him. Once I had put the shoes away, I figured I could change out of that stupid dress there. I pulled off the dress, and put on my jean and tank top. I felt better, more like myself. Then I put on my converse and laced them up. When I walked back out of the costume room, I saw Takashi sitting with Honey. Apparently it was very unusual to see a girl in jeans, because I felt people stare at me, and I even heard a whisper about "What's she wearing?"

"What are you doing here?" Hikaru asked me before I got to the door.

"I was just returning those shoes. Good call by the way, not letting me wear my converse." I said, thinking back to that scene in the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Kaoru asked me, blocking my path to the door.

"Somewhere." I said, trying to hedge my way around him, but Hikaru blocked me.

"Why don't you stay for a while?" Kaoru asked. _No, no, no, no, no,_ I thought. _Not happening._

"No thanks," I said as I finally managed to push my way past them. When I got to the door, I looked back. Takashi was looking at me. I gave him a little waved before exiting, and shutting the door firmly behind me. As I walked through the halls, I thought about the Host Club and it's unlikely members. The whole time I felt like I was being watched. Luckily, I managed to find my way out of the school and to the parking lot. When I got to my truck, I accidentally dropped my keys. When I stood back up, I saw a flash of brown.

"Who's there?" I called out. Sheepishly, Haruhi stepped out from behind one of the teacher's cars.

"Sorry. I didn't want to follow you, but Hikaru and Kaoru made me!" he squeaked. _Why would they do that?_ I wondered. I stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"How long were you supposed to follow me?" I asked.

"I was supposed to find out where you were going and what you were doing. " he said quietly. _Why not?_ I thought as I climbed in my truck and opened the passenger side door.

"Get in." I told him. He seemed surprised, but he climbed into the truck. He was quiet while I pulled out of the parking lot, but eventually the silence became unbearable.

"So how did you like your first day Ouran?" he asked. I glanced over at him before answering.

"Well, ya know. It kinda sucked, but most first days do. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. That being said, it was far from the best day ever." I told him. He gave me an agreeing, sympathetic smile.

"So..." he started. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"The housing section of downtown." I said, turning on my turn signal.

"Why?" he seemed surprised that I'd ever journey downtown.

"There's someone I need to meet with." I answered, thinking about the letter I'd received a few months back. Someone sent me a letter saying that they knew my mother, and that they had something of hers that they thought I should have.

"Who?" I didn't know if he was genuinely curious, or just didn't like silence.

"Ryoji Fujioka. He-" I started.

"What!?" Haruhi exclaimed.

"Ryoji Fujioka. Do you know him?" I asked. Haruhi nodded.

"He's my dad." he said.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, I was surprised to say the least. Trying to keep this situation from getting awkward, I tried to change the subject.

"Then can you tell me how to get to your apartment?" I asked. "Navigation is not one of my strong suits." Haruhi directed me towards his apartment.

"So what's your dad like?" I asked him. _Screw changing the subject_, I thought. _I'm curious_. Haruhi smiled slightly.

"Well, he's a bit different." he said, as I pulled up against the curb beside his apartment building.

"Different how?" I asked.

"He's a transvestite." he said. _Didn't see that coming_, I thought as he led me to his apartment. Haruhi unlocked the door and opened it.

"Dad! I'm home! And I brought a visitor!" he called into the apartment. He stepped inside and took his shoes off by the door. I did the same and smiled a bit as my bare feet touched the cool tile floor. I looked at the walls and saw tons of pictures of Haruhi. In most of them, he had long had long hair and wore girly shirts.

"Are you a transvestite too?" I asked curiously. _Or maybe..._ "Are you a girl?!" I asked Haruhi. She nodded. _Well, I guess cross dressing runs in the family._ I thought, Thinking back on it, that explained why Haruhi's voice was so high and soft, and why Haruhi had such cute features.

"Why..." I started to ask.

"Why do I dress like a boy?" she asked. I nodded.

"It's a long story." she said. "See, when I first got to Ouran, I had to buy a uniform. The only one I could afford was a used boy's uniform. So I wore that. Then I met the Host Club and broke an expensive vase, so I have to keep up the charade and pay back what I owe for the vase by participating in the Host Club's activities." she said quickly. I nodded, accepting this answer. _At least she had good reasons_, I thought.

"You're not weirded out or anything?" Haruhi asked. I shook my head.

"It's just clothes. And you have good reasoning, so why should it bother me?" I asked. Before Haruhi could respond, we heard her dad coming down the hall.

"Hi honey!" Ryoji Fujioka came into the room. He was medium height, had stubble on his chin and was wearing a purple dress and an auburn wig. "How was school?" he asked. He stopped short when he saw me.

"Oh my. You must be Arianna! You look so much like your mother." he said. "Come in, come in! Make yourself at home. I'm going to go grab that thing I had for you." he said, ushering me into the small living room. In the corner of the room there was a small alter with a woman's picture on it.

"That's my mom." Haruhi said. I went over and knelt by the alter, paying my respects.

"She's pretty." I said, studying her picture. Haruhi smile sadly.

"She died when I was five." Haruhi said.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly.

"What's your mom like?" Haruhi asked.

"She was really nice. She liked music, and bowling, and anything outdoorsy. I'm practically a photocopy of her, except I have my dad's eyes. Her's were blue." I said.

"Was?" Haruhi asked. I nodded.

"She died a few years ago. Breast cancer." I told her.

"I'm sorry." Haruhi said automatically._ Me too_, I thought. Luckily Ryoji came back in then and we didn't have to say anything else.

"Here it is!" he said, setting an old trunk on the floor. I crawled over to it and undid the latches. Taking a deep breath, I opened the trunk. I smiled when I saw what was inside. Inside were old photo albums, journals, jewelry and a letter addressed to me. I took out one of the albums and slowly flipped through it. The first few pictures were of my mom and Ryoji from when they were in high school. The next couple were of my mom and dad. Then pictures of her pregnant with me. Pictures of the day I was born. My first birthday. Us at the zoo. Us in front of our apartment building. The last few pages were of us in her room in the hospital. The last month or so, I'd spent everyday in the hospital room. Reading to her, begging her to eat, playing cards with her when she felt up to it. The last few days were the worst. She was so tired, she barely ever opened her eyes. Everyday she found the strength to tell me she loved me, just in case it would be her last chance. After she was gone, my dad had to carry me out of the room, kicking and screaming. Crying, begging her to come back. As I flipped through all the pages of the photo albums, I began to cry. I'd forgotten all the good times. All I could remember were the bad, but these albums reminded me that had been a happier time before the cancer.

"Thank you." I told Ryoji. "Where did you get these?" I asked.

"Your mom. She sent this to me about a month before she died, asking me to keep it safe for you until you were older." Ryoji said.

"Thank you." I said again as I hugged him. He seemed surprised, but hugged me back. He and Haruhi sat and looked through all of the albums with me. They laughed at the stories that wen with them, and handed me tissues when the stories made me cry. At first I was kind of embaressed, crying this much in front of people I'd just met, but it stopped bothering me quickly. I could tell why my mom and Ryoji had been such great friends. He was very kind and caring, and Haruhi seemed to know just what I needed to make me feel better.

They invited me to stay for dinner. I didn't want to impose, but I didn't really want to suffer through another awkwardly silent dinner at home either, so I accepted. Haruhi and I made chicken noodle soup, and Ryoji tried to help, but it soon became very apparent that he didn't know anything about cooking. After dinner we sat around talking. I knew it was getting late, but I didn't want to go home.

Eventually, Ryoji stood up and exclaimed "Oh Haruhi! I just remembered! I got something for you today." He ran out of the room, then came back in carrying a pink dress.

"Dad," she said patiently. "You know I don't like wearing that stuff." I looked at the dress, then back at Haruhi.

"You know, sir, I think your daughter is right. That's not really her style. What about a nice blouse with some ruffles or something and jeans." I suggested. They looked at me. "It was just a suggestion." I mumbled.

"No, no, you're right. It was a good suggestion. If I got you something like that, would you wear it?" Ryoji asked Haruhi. She nodded hesitantly.

"Probably." she admitted. I smiled at both of them. Then I noticed the clock.

"Shit! Is it that late already?" I exclaimed. The clock read 12:17._ Shitshitshitshitshit!_ I thought as put everything back into the trunk and latched it shut. _Dad is going to kill me!_

"My dad is going to kill me!" I said. "Figuratively speaking." I added when Ryoji looked at me, horrified. "Thank you so much for dinner, and the trunk, but I have to go now." I said, struggling to pick up the trunk. Haruhi came over and helped me lift it up. "Goodnight!" I called to Ryoji as Haruhi and I carried the trunk out the door and down to my truck.

"Good night." Haruhi said as I climbed into my truck. She turned around to leave and I called after her.

"Hey! Do you want a ride to school tomorrow?" I asked. Given how far away we were from Ouran, I figured Haruhi had to take at least two or three trains every morning.

"That'd be great." Haruhi said, smiling.

"What time should I be here?" I asked.

"Quarter after seven?" she said. I nodded.

"Good night Haruhi!" I said before driving off.

* * *

The clock read 12:53 by the time I pulled into the drive way. I slid my key into the lock and opened the door as quietly as I could. I crept inside and shut the door. When I turned around, my dad was standing there in his bathrobe.

"Hi Daddy." I said, meekly. He didn't respond. His face looked solemn and grave. Not a good sign.

"Look, Daddy, I seriously didn't mean to miss curfew! I got distracted and lost track of time and when I realized that it was past curfew, I left right away and drove straight here. It won't happen again, I promise!" I said.

"Ari, we've been over this!" he sighed. "I'm responsible for your well-being. I give you a lot of freedom, but you have to follow my rules! I can't take care of you if you don't follow the rules I set." he said sternly.

"I know." I whispered. I hated his "I-expected-better-of-you-voice". He only used it when I missed curfew, or occasionally when I got in fights and he found out about them. "But Daddy," I continued "I had adult supervision at least. Doesn't that count for something?" I begged.

"Who?" he asked.

"I was visiting Ryoji Fujioka and his daughter, Haruhi. He had something of mom's that he wanted to give me, and I ended up staying for dinner and after dinner we started talking and lost track of time." I explained. His face softened at the mention of my mother.

"Okay." he said. "You're off the hook, but just this once! Don't let it happen again." he warned. I hugged him.

"Good night, Daddy." I said.

"Good night, Princess." he said, tightening his bear hug before releasing me. I managed to find my way to my room and throw on some pajamas before collapsing into bed and falling asleep instantly.


	5. Chapter 5

"When do you think she's going to wake up?"

"I don't know, Hikaru. Be patient."

I opened my eyes to see Hikaru and Kaoru, sitting on either side of my bed. They were both dressed for school.

"Good morning!" they said brightly. I looked at the clock. 6:45. "Urrggghhh!" I groaned, sitting up. "Why are you in here?" I asked them.

"We figured you could use a wake up call." Kaoru said. "Seeing as you got in so late last night." I blushed, wondering whether or not they'd heard dad yelling at me. I didn't want them to get the wrong impression of him; he's usually not that strict.

"Thanks." I mumbled as I shoved past Hikaru to get out of bed. I stumbled over to the closet and grabbed my freshly cleaned yellow uniform that I had to wear. Taking it in my hand, I crossed the room to the bathroom. They were still sitting on my bed.

"Are you guys just going to sit there and watch me get ready for school?" I asked.

"Yes." they said together. In response, I walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. After I'd switched from my pajamas to the dress, I opened the door and crossed the room, back to my closet, grabbed the new pair of brown ballet flats that I'd requested yesterday, then returned to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my hair, then put my shoes on. I walked back into the bedroom and grabbed my bag from beside the foot of my bed. Hikaru and Kaoru got up and followed me out of my room.

It was 7:00 when I finally got out to the car, Hikaru and Kaoru following close behind. I'd had to fend off maid, after maid offering me breakfast or asking me if I wanted to take the limo today or asking whether or not I had laundry for them to do. I opened the door to my truck and hopped in. Hikaru and KAoru were standing by my truck. I rolled my eyes.

"You want a ride?" I offered. They smiled and nodded.

"Thank you!" Hikaru said as he climbed in back. Kaoru started to put the seat back up and I stopped him.

"Sorry, but I'd really rather only mess with moving the seat twice each morning: Getting in and getting out. I'm giving someone else a ride today too. I'm not going to make her sit in back. It's unlady-like." I said sarcastically. None the less, Kaoru climbed in back and pulled the seat up behind him.

"Who are we picking up?" Kaoru asked.

"Haruhi Fujioka." I said. They both stiffened at the mention of Haruhi, and I remembered that they asked her to follow me yesterday. "Don't worry." I told them. "I'm not mad at you for employing Haruhi to follow me. Honestly, I'd probably would've done the same thing if I were curious enough." They seemed embaressed about being caught.

"Sorry about that." they said, looking ashamed. I shrugged. I didn't really care, considering how nice it turned out to be having Haruhi with me.

"It's whatever." I told them as I parked outside Haruhi's apartment. "I'll be right back. Be good." I warned them as I got out. I ran up to her apartment door and knocked once, twice, and on the third time she opened the door.

"Hi Ari." she said, before turning back into the apartment. "Bye Dad!" she yelled.

" Hi Mr. Fujioka! Bye Mr. Fujioka !" I yelled into the apartment, my words strung together to get them out before Haruhi shut the door. She laughed and we started towards my truck.

"Just to warn you, Hikaru and Kaoru wanted a ride to school." I informed her as we reached the stairs. "Hold on!" I told her, going over to the railing that enclosed the upper hallway. I sat up on railing and wrapped my feet around two of the bars. I leaned back, until my hands, outstretched behind me, made contact with the bottom of the bars from the railing.

"Watch this!" I called up to Haruhi as I unwrapped my feet from the bars.

"Ari!" she screamed, terrified that I was going to fall. But I didn't. I held on to the bars until my legs were at a 45 degree angle, then I let go and flipped twice before landing.

"Hahahaha!" I laughed, excitedly and pushed my bangs out of my face. "I've wanted to do that since I saw that railing yesterday! That was so much fun!" I yelled up to Haruhi. She hurried down the stairs, book bag in tow.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she demanded. "You could have hurt yourself!" I laughed a little bit at that.

"But I didn't! Besides, that was easy! I've been in gymnastics since I was three. Performing a flip of a railing 15 feet in the air is a piece of cake." I told her.

"You don't seem like the type of girl who'd take gymnastics." Haruhi noted. We started over towards my truck.

"My mom did gymnastics. She wanted me to love it as much as she did, but it was never really my thing. Even if I was good at it. Now, it just reminds me of her, so I quit." I explained as I opened the passenger's side door for her. I ran around to the other side and hopped in.

"Well, it was still a stupid thing to do." Haruhi said.

"If I say I'm sorry, will you forgive my stupidity?" I asked. "Pwease?" I begged with my perfected puppy-dog face.

"I guess so." Haruhi said, trying not to smile.

"What'd she do?" Hikaru asked.

"She flipped off the railing of the upper hallway of my apartment building." Haruhi said.

"SHE WHAT?" they exclaimed. I shot Haruhi a quick glare before turning my eyes back to the road.

"It was nothing." I said.

"But-" Hikaru started.

"It. Was. Nothing." I silenced him. The truck was quiet for a minute, until Haruhi broke the silence.

"What are these?" she asked, picking up a bag of Funyuns that I had left on the floor of the passenger's side.

"Ooh! Funyuns! Would you mind opening them up?" I asked her. She pulled the bag open and the yummy deliciousness that is the smell of Funyuns entered the air. I reached over and grabbed a couple. "These are my absolute FAVORITE food in the entire universe!" I told her. I smiled as I munched on them. She, Hikaru and Kaoru looked into the bag curiously.

"Where'd you get these?" Haruhi asked.

"The internet." I said. "My mom and I went to America once, to see New York City. While there, we discovered Funyuns in a gas station. We became addicted. My dad ships them here because he knows they're my favorite." I smiled. Dad could be so sweet sometimes. "Try one." I urged them. They each hesitantly ate one.

"That's..." Hikaru started.

"Very..." Kaoru continued.

"Good!" Haruhi finished. "I love these things!" she said. Hikaru and Kaoru nodded in agreement. "Can we have some more?" she asked. I nodded. By the time we pulled into the school's parking lot, they had finished off the entire bag.

"Awww! My Funyuns." I fake pouted.

"I'm sorry. It's just, they were so good and-" Kaoru said.

"It's fine." I cut him off. "Dad ordered me another crate full of them. It should arrive in a few days. I can survive until then." We got out of the truck and I stopped them.

"Here." I said, handing each of them a stick of gum. "You don't want your breath to smell like onions. Not exactly a good scent for a host." I told them as I started toward the building. I heard Haruhi and the twins following behind me.

"Hey, Arianna!" I heard someone call to me. A blonde girl, who was about half a head taller than me walked up to me. "I heard that you were caught with, what were they called? Converse? Aren't they, ya know...commoner's shoes? Meant for boys?" she asked, laughing. Her friends started laughing too. _What was wrong with these people? What's wrong with wearing converse!? _I wondered.

"Could you leave me alone?" I asked polietly. I started to walk away but she followed me.

"I also heard that you drive a truck. And that you wear jeans, like a commoner." she continued. I ignored her and kept walking. "Didn't your mom ever teach you how to be a girl? Oh, never mind. I heard that your mom left your dad after you were born. Then he moved on to wife after gold digging wife. I bet that's all your mom was too. A gold-digging commoner who-" she never got a chance to finish her sentence because I'd slapped her in the face. She yelled and fell on to the ground.

"Don't talk about my mom like that! You don't know anything!" I lunged towards her again, but something got in my way. I looked up and saw Mori. He was holding me back.

"Let go of me Mori!" I yelled as I tried to get past him. By that time Kaoru, Hikaru and Haruhi had caught up to me and were staring at the scene before them. Frustrated, I elbowed Mori in the solar plexus, trying to make him let go of me, but he didn't. The girl got up and started to back away.

"Freak!" she screamed at me as she ran away. Mori held on to me, even after I stopped fighting. Exhausted from fighting, my knees gave away, then Mori was the only thing keeping me aloft. He set me down and I sat there, trying not to cry.

"What happened?" Hikaru asked.

"She started making fun of me because of the converse." I told him quietly.

"So you hit her?" Kaoru asked, outraged.

"No. I did that after she called my mom a gold-digging commoner who abandoned me." I said defensively. I looked at Haruhi and I was that she understood why I did what I did.

"Ari..." she said. I could hear the pity in her voice.

"I don't need pity." I said angrily, standing up fast. They were all staring at me. Too many eyes. "Just leave me alone!" I yelled, running away.

"Arianna! Wait!" I heard Hikaru and Kaoru yell after me. I ran as fast as I could, kicking my shoes off along the way. I ran into the garden in the middle of the Ouran campus and tried to find a spot to collapse. I felt sticks that had fallen on the ground cut up my feet, but I didn't care. Finally, I saw a weeping willow. I ran to it and collapsed behind the drooping branches that just barely reached the ground. I sat crisscross applesauce, the most unlady-like pose possible and I cried. I was just so frustrated at that girl! She didn't know me, or my mom and yet she felt the need to judge us? Then tell me what she though of us? Who was she to criticize me or my mom! She didn't know anything! I thought as I angrily wiped the tears from my eyes. The branches that shielded me from the world were pulled apart and Mori stepped underneath the canopy of the weeping willow. _Why does he always show up right when I lose my cool?_ I thought. It was kind of embarrassing. He held up my shoes, then set them beside me and sat down next to me.

"Are you-" he started.

"Don't you dare ask me if I'm alright. Obviously, I'm not and I'm so sick of everyone asking me if I'm okay! I'm not and it sucks and I have no clue why I get so..." I took a breath. "I'm upset and mad and embarrassed and right now I hate this place, so don't take anything I say seriously. I'm just venting." I explained, which was as close to apologizing he was going to get right then. He nodded.

"Cry." he said. I looked at him. "It'll make you feel better. Trust me." he said. So I did. I was crying so hard I was shaking. At some point Mori lifted me up and sat me in his lap and held me as I cried. When I was done I felt better, albeit really embarrassed about crying in front of him for the second day in a row, and Mori's shirt was soaked where my head had rested against his chest.

"Better?" he asked. I nodded and tried to stand up. As soon as my feet touched the ground though, I kind of crumpled. I'd forgotten the cuts on my feet, but now they were stinging something fierce. Instead, I sat beside Mori. I tucked my bangs behind my ears and stared to braid my hair.

"You know, I don't usually cry this much." I felt I needed to explain to him. "I've cried more the past two days than I've cried in the past two years. Thank you. For being here. Crying is less depressing when there's someone who's sitting with you while you cry."

"I know. My father used to sit with me when I got upset. He said that there's nothing wrong with crying because if people weren't supposed to cry, why did we come with tear ducts?" he said softly.

"Hard to argue with that logic." I said. He smiled slightly. We sat there for a long time, until we heard the school's clock tower's bell chime 10 times. We'd been out here for at least two hours.

"We should probably get back." I said. I was planning on taking a personal day as soon as we got back to school and I could get to my truck, but I didn't want to make Mori miss more classes. "I don't want you to get in trouble for skipping class." I told him. He nodded.

"Can you walk?" he asked, motioning to my feet which were stained red, brown and green.

"Probably." I said, knowing that putting disinfectant on the cuts later was going to kill. He stood up and held his hand out to me. I took it and he slowly pulled me up. I took a step and winced. It hurt, but I could handle it.

"Here." Mori said, handing my shoes to me. I took them from him but didn't put them on. Trying to walk in heels would have hurt worse. I was about to tell him that when he put one arm around my back and the other behind my knees. He picked me up and held me bridal style. "I can carry you there. Is this okay?" he asked. I nodded. "It would probably be more comfortable for you if you put your arm around my neck, and not having it squished between your torso and my chest." he suggested. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He carried me from that willow tree back to music room three.

"Why are you taking me here?" I asked him.

"I figured that you aren't going to be able to learn very well today, so you and I are taking a mental health day." he said, smiling at my shocked expression. "Plus, I had Haruhi drop your book bag off here. And I have bandages for your feet in our first aid kit. If I took you to the nurse for this, we'd probably be forced to go to class. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing and I'll be gentle." he said as he sat me down on one of the couches. I unwrapped my arms from around his neck and he went to get the first aid kit. When he came back he took out a spray can of disinfectant and a roll of bandages.

"This is going to sting a bit." he warned me._ Ha! A bit_.. I thought of how many small cuts were on my feet. Small, but deep enough to draw blood, so deep enough that this was going to majorly suck. I took one of the pillows and bit it.

"Ready." I mumbled through the pillow. He sprayed the disinfectant and I shrieked a bit. I bit down on the pillow and clenched the couch cushions in my hands until the stinging in my feet ended. I took the pillow out of my mouth.

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked. I shook my head. He started wrapping the bandages around my feet. He had been correct; he did know what he was doing and he was extremely gentle. "There. All done." he said, packing up the first aid kit.

"Thank you." I told him.

"No problem." he responded.

"Don't take offense to this, but you're really talkative compared to how quiet you are when you're around the Host Club. Why is that?" I asked him.

"No offense taken. I guess it's because most of the other Hosts talk enough for a club twice the size of ours, and I'm really only there as a supporting character for Honey, so I don't really participate much." he explained.

"Well that sucks." I said bluntly. "Why should you be silenced because other people don't know how to shut up?" I asked him.

"I don't mind it, actually. Though I admit, it's nice being able to talk with you." he said, smiling. I smiled back at him.

"I like talking with you too." I told him. "I don't feel like I have to filter what I say around you. I feel comfortable talking to you." I admitted. He smiled at me and picked up my book bag and his and slung them over his shoulders.

"Well, shall we be off?" he asked.

"You're serious about ditching, aren't you?" I asked him, a nervous smile on my face. He nodded.

"You in? Or do you want to go to class?" he asked. I shook my head. "Okay. I'll call a limo to meet us out front." he said.

"Well, actually..." I said. "I kinda drove my truck here this morning, and I don't trust anyone with it and I don't want to leave it here over night, so..." I trailed off. "Would it be okay if we took my truck?" I asked.

"Is it automatic or manual?" he asked.

"Automatic. I can drive stick shift, but I'm better at automatic." I told him.

"Good, because I can't drive stick shift and I doubt you're in any condition to drive." he said. "Do you trust me to drive?" he asked.

"Yes." I said without having to think about it.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" he asked as he reached down to pick me up.

"I could walk, you know." I told him. "You don't have to carry me."

"But if I can, and if it would save you pain, then why wouldn't I carry you?" he responded, wrapping his arms around me and picking me up again. He carried me and our book bags to my truck with surprising ease.

"How strong are you?" I asked him, eyeing his arm muscles.

"I can bench press 200 pounds." he said. "Impressed?" he asked.

"Very." I admitted. I got my keys out of my book bag and unlocked the doors. He set me down in the passenger's seat, then handed me our book bags, which I threw in the backseat while he walked around to the other side.

"Where to?" he asked as he turned the car on and pulled out of the parking space.

"Well, I'd kinda like to change out of my uniform before we do anything else." I said. He nodded.

"Okay. We can stop there. That gives us more time to think of something to do." he said. "What kind of music do you listen to?" he asked, turning my stereo on.

"DA BA DEE DA BA DIE DA BA DEE DA BA DIE!" blasted out of the speakers. He looked shocked at first, then laughed.

"You listen to Eiffel 65?" he asked.

"You know the song I'm Blue by Eiffel 65?" I asked incredulously. He nodded.

"I like to listen to music while I train. I got addicted to this song after I won nationals in Kendo a few years ago. I didn't have to train as hard, so I tried listening to more upbeat music. This was one of my favorites." he explained. We jammed out to the song all the way to my house. When we got there, he parked out front, then ran around to my side to carry me in before I could even get unbuckled.

"What are you? My personal pall bearer?" I joked. He nodded solemnly.

"Until you are well again, I will carry you everywhere." he said smiling.

"Okay, well, can you carry me to my room?" I asked him. He nodded and picked me up. He carried me to the door and before I could even knock, the maid from yesterday morning opened the door.

"Hello Missus, and Mr...?" she trailed off.

"Morinozuka." he said. "Takashi Morinozuka. We're just here to get Arianna a change of clothes." he said, stepping inside.

"Do we have any clothes that would fit him? I asked her. She nodded.

"Missus has tons of cloths here. What sizes are you?" she asked him. He told her and she took off running. "I'll bring the clothes to your room, alright Miss?" she asked. I nodded. I directed Mori to my bedroom.

"Huh." he said.

"What do you mean "huh"?" I demanded.

"I don't know. This just isn't what I expected. I figured twenty-foot ceilings and a water-bed with a ball pit in one corner." he said.

"Sounds pretty sweet." I said, motioning to take me to my bedroom. He set me down on my bed and stepped back.

"In my closet, would you mind grabbing me a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt? Preferably something NOT pink, if possible." I asked him. He ventured into the closet and emerge a minute later, carrying a pair of dark jeans and black corset type of tank top.

"Where did you find that?" I asked him, eyeing the tank top.

"It was in the closet labeled "Gothic". Was I not supposed to go in there?" He asked.

"No, no! I love that top! I never figured Yuzuha would design something like that though." I explained.

"I'll wait out in the living room area." he said, handing me the clothes. I pulled the dress off and slid the jeans on. I pulled the shirt down just as Mori knocked on my door.

"Ready?" he asked. "I've already changed."

"Ready!" I called. He opened the door and stopped short.

"What?" I asked self-consciously, tugging at the hem of the shirt.

"Nothing." Mori said. "You look good." He reached down and picked me up. He carried me downstairs and back to my car.

"Bye!" I called over my shoulder to the maid who'd helped us.

"Have fun!" she yelled as Mori set me inside the car. I waved at her as we drove away.

"Did you decide what we're going to do now?" I asked him. He nodded.

"We are going to the carnival!" he announced.


	6. Chapter 6

"The carnival?" I asked.

"Yeah. Just outside of town, like two miles away. I've always wanted to go to a carnival, but no one else every seemed very thrilled at the idea, so I never suggested it. Unless, you don't want to go. We can do something else." he said.

"No, that sounds awesome! I haven't been to the carnival in years! Promise me that we'll get funnel cake?" I begged. He laughed. "And you have to win me something." I added. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Seriously! I can never win at those carnival games so I need you, Mr. I-can-bench-press-200-pounds, to win one for me. Please?" I begged him.

"I promise," he said. "as long as you go on all the rides with me. I've never really been on a roller coaster or anything before, so I want to try them all. Promise?" he asked.

"I swear." I promised. "How have you never been on a roller coaster before?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Roller coasters aren't exactly the chosen past time of the wealthy, blue-blooded community." he said.

"That is so sad." I said, shaking my head. "You'd think that the supremely wealthy would just spend all their time having fun. What's more fun than roller coasters?" I mused. By the time we got to the carnival it was noon. Mori parked the truck and got out. Instead of carrying my bridal style, this time he gave me a piggyback ride.

"Well, what do you want to do first?" he asked me.

"Food. Funnel cake." I said, smiling. He carried me over to a concession stand and we bought funnel cake, lemonade, popcorn and french fries. We sat at a picnic table and started eating, while planning how we were going to go about doing this. We decided to ride all the rides once now, during the day while there were no lines, then we'd play all the games, easiest to hardest and skipping the stupid ones, and then when it got dark we'd go on all of the rides again.

"Watch this." I told him as I threw popcorn kernels up in the air and caught them in my mouth. Mori started counting how many I'd caught in a row.

"Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty! Forty-one, forty-awwww!" he exclaimed as I dropped one.

"Dammit!" I said, staring at the dropped kernel.

"Here, eat some more funnel cake. It'll make you feel better." he said, holding the plate out to me. After we finished eating, we went to the bumper cars. Somehow, Mori managed to get behind me. He followed me around and mercilessly rammed into me, so I started going fast, then stopping and making us collide. Next, Mori wanted to go on the ride that swings you like a pendulum until you're going in full circles. That one made me a little dizzy, but was totally fun. There was also a ride where it was just a room that spun really fast. When the room spun fast enough, you were pushed up against the wall, and then the walls shifted with you stuck to then. The second time we went on that one, Mori turned himself upside down and rode that way, but then he couldn't turn right side up quick enough and ended up falling on his head. After we'd finished all the rides, we walked around and looked at some of the stalls. Vendors were selling everything from food, to jewelry, to animals. One of the vendors was from the humane society and was asking people to adopt a bunch of kittens and puppies, explaining that they were the ones that had been born in the humane society. I made Mori stay at that stall with me for a good twenty minutes, so I could hold one of the kittens. He was all black and was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Mori laughed at me when I got sad because we got up to go. We stopped at some of the other vendor's stalls, too. At one of the jewelry stalls I bought a silver charm bracelet, but I didn't know what sort of charms to buy for it.

"What do you think?" I asked Mori. He looked uncomfortable. I didn't think he'd even been asked his opinion on what jewelry to buy before.

"Um... how about that one?" he said, pointing to one of a willow tree.

"Perfect." I smiled at him and bought the charm. I couldn't figure out how to get the charm on the bracelet, so Mori had to do it for me.

"Thanks." I said as he clasped the bracelet around my wrist. After that, we went into gaming mode. We played several different types of ring toss, at which I kicked Mori's ass. Then we played one of those "test your strength" games. Obviously, I didn't beat him at that one. We both sucked at the game where you squirt water into the clowns mouth to blow up a balloon. By this time, it had gotten dark. We were on our way to ride the rides again, when I saw the milk bottle game, where you have three balls and have to try to knock down three different sized pyramids of milk bottles. We stopped because I saw a huge stuffed panda as a prize.

"I'm want it. I'm gunna win it." I said, pointing to the panda. Mori laughed and sat me down on the counter.

"Can I throw from here?" I asked the guy at the booth. "I kinda hurt my feet, so I don't really want to stand. If I have to that's fine, I would just appreciate it if I could sit here." I explained.

"S-Sure. Here you go." he stuttered, setting them beside me.

"Thanks!" I said, smiling brightly at him. Let me just say, I have the worst aim in the world, so I was really surprised when I knocked the first two pyramids down with one ball each. The third ball knocked down all but the very bottom row of milk bottles. "Dammit!" I exclaimed, frowning. Mori laughed and paid the guy for three more balls. He knocked the pyramid down, one at a time, with surprising ease. I clapped for him when he knocked down the big pyramid. The guy asked which prize he wanted and Mori pointed to the stuffed panda. He held it out to me and I hugged it.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mori!" I said, squeezing it tightly.

"No problem." he said smiling. We walked around for a while then.

"So, tell me about yourself." I said.

"What do you want to know?" Mori asked.

"I don't know... everything? What's your favorite color, favorite food, what do you want to be when you grow up? That sorta stuff." I replied. He was quiet for a moment.

"My favorite color is white. I think funnel cake might be my new favorite food. I don't know what I want to do." he said.

"Why'd you join the host club?" I asked him.

"Honey wanted to. It makes him happy. I don't really like being a host as much as everyone else, but I have grown to enjoy the company. They're all like brothers to me now, except for Haruhi. She's more like a sister." he replied. I smiled at him. "So, what is your favorite color, your favorite food and what do you want to be when you grow up?" he asked me.

"Um... black because it goes with everything, except navy. But navy doesn't go with anything, so that doesn't really count. Funyuns or chocolate covered strawberries are my favorite. I can't seem to decide between the two. Funnel cake is a close third. And I want to be a scientist," I said. "One who does cancer research."

"I thought you were a mechanical engineer?" he asked. I nodded.

"That's more of a hobby." I told him.

"Why do you want to do cancer research?" he asked.

"My mom died of breast cancer and it sucked. I want to help people like her. Give them a better chance at living, develop medicines that can save them, let their families keep their loved ones." I said, trying to explain. He nodded.

"I'm sorry about your mother." he said.

"Thanks." I said, brushing away a tear. We fell silent. "Well, my mom wouldn't want us to dwell on sad things. She'd yell at us for not enjoying our selves while at the carnival. She used to love these places, especially the rides."

"Well, then. Shall we?" Mori said, nodding to the rides.

"Lets." I agreed. So we went on the rides again. Since it was so dark out I made Mori stop at one of the booths so I could get us a bunch of glow in the dark bracelets and stuff. The carnival had become crowded, full of teenagers and college students.

"Which ride next?" I asked him as we got off the pendulum ride again.

"The ferris wheel." he said, pointing to it. My blood ran cold.

"Um, do we have to?" I asked. "Why don't we go on one of the roller coasters again?" I suggested. Mori shook his head.

"Come on! We haven't been on the ferris wheel yet, the line is super short and it's be so much fun. Please?" he asked. I looked into his dark eyes and I could tell that he really wanted this.

"Okay." I said reluctantly, mustering up a some-what convincing smile. We got in line and got into one of the baskets. I stared at the floor of the basket as we ascended.

"What's wrong?" Mori asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing. I just, um... I don't like heights very much." I admitted. The basket started to sway and I impulsively grabbed Mori's hand. "Sorry." I apologized, letting go of my hand.

"No, I'm sorry." he whispered. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have made you do this." The basket swayed even more, and I wrapped my arms around Mori's chest and squeezed my eyes shut. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close.

"I'll be fine." I mumbled into his shirt. "Just try to enjoy the view, because I don't think I can do this again." I told him.

"Why don't you look too?" he suggested. I shook my head. "I promise, you'll be fine. I'm right here, and if you start to freak out, we can go back to doing this." he said. Hesitantly, I lifted my head. Mori was looking down at me. Looking into his eyes, I suddenly felt much more calm. Slowly, I nodded my head. I turned and looked out. I could see all the city lights, and the lights from the carnival down below. I studied the view for a minute longer.

"Wow." I whispered. "Beautiful." I said.

"Yes." Mori agreed. When I turned back to smile at him, I saw that he was staring at me. A breeze blew past us and I shivered.

"Here," Mori said, taking off his jacket. "It's cold up here." he draped the jacket across my shoulders.

"Thanks." I said, sliding my arms into the jacket. I leaned against him, and he put his arm around my shoulder. I stared out at the view, unafraid, until it was out turn to get off.

"It's getting late." Mori said, staring at the clock at one of the booths. 10:17. "I should probably get you home." he said. I nodded, and he carried me back to the truck, my stuffed panda in tow. As soon as we got to the truck, Mori's cell phone went off.

"Excuse me," he said, then answered the phone. "Hello?" he asked. I could hear Tamaki's voice through the phone.

"_Where are you?_!" he screamed. "_We've been trying to call you all day! Where'd you go? We've been looking for Ari all day! Apparently, she ran away during school and-_"

"Tamaki." Mori cut him off. "Shut up. She's here with me. Tell Hikaru and Kaoru not to worry. Things got a little out of hand this morning and we decided to take a mental health day. I'm taking her home now." he said.

"_Put her on the phone_!" I heard Kaoru say. Mori held the phone out to me and I took it.

"Hello?" I said, holding the phone away from my ear.

"_Where are you!? Why'd you just leave?! What's wrong with you_?" Hikaru yelled. I grimaced. Mori took the phone back.

"She's had a rough day. Go home. We were about to leave now." Mori said.

"_Leave? Leave where? Where are you_?" Kaoru demanded. Mori didn't answer him, he just flipped the phone shut, ending the call.

"We should get going." he said. I nodded. I set the panda on the floor of my truck, and Mori set me on the seat. He got in and we started driving back.

"I didn't get you in trouble, did I?" I asked him. "Kaoru and Hikaru seemed kind of mad." Mori shook his head.

"I think they were just worried about you." he said. We fell silent and he turned on the radio. Classical music floated into the truck. I laid my head back against the head rest.

"Thank you." I said, yawning.

"For what?" he asked.

"For making me feel better. All day, you helped me forget about this morning. Also, for the panda. He's pretty cute." I said, petting the stuffed animal.

"Your welcome, I guess." Mori said. I smiled and closed my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:** I know that it's been forever since I updated. To anyone who read this story and then waited months for me to update it and didn't give up on it: THANK YOU and I'M REALLY SORRY THAT THIS TOOK ME SO LONG! To everyone else reading: Please enjoy! And also, please review. I appreciate reviews, especially if you have any suggestions as to what I should put in the story.**

* * *

The next morning I woke up cuddling the stuffed panda. I smiled at it when I opened my eyes. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was 8:24. At first I panicked, thinking that I was late for school. Then I remembered that yesterday had been Friday, and today was Saturday. I thought back to yesterday, trying to remember how I'd gotten into bed. The last thing I remembered was Mori driving me home. I felt terrible for falling asleep. I didn't even tell him good night. Before I could muse any longer, I heard a knock at my door.

"Yeah? Come on in!" I called to whoever was at the door. A moment later Kaoru and Hikaru were walking into my bedroom.

"Hey." I greeted them as I got up. I yawned and stretched. "What's up?" I asked them. They gave each other a look, then came over and sat down on the edge of my bed.

"So..." Kaoru started.

"What happened yesterday?" Hikaru continued for his brother.

"You and Mori went totally MIA. We were worried." Kaoru finished. They were worried? I smiled at their concern.

"Well, I'm guessing Haruhi told you about that girl?" I began. They nodded and I continued. "Well, after I hit her I kind of freaked out and ran away. Mori followed me to make sure I was alright. Then he suggested that we take a mental health day. We went to a carnival." I explained, simplifying it. "Which reminds me, do you have his phone number? I didn't get a chance to thank him, or give him his jacket back." I said, gesturing to his jacket which I was still wearing." I said. Kaoru handed his phone over and I thanked him. I got up and left them sitting on my bed. Mori was number six on his speed-dial list. I was impatient as I listened to the dial tone, waiting for him to pick up.

"Hello?" he said softly.

"Hey!" I said, cheerfully. "Listen, about last night- I'm really, really sorry that I fell asleep and that I didn't get a chance to thank you or say good night. Oh! And I still have your jacket, so-"

"I've got to go." he said, cutting me off and hanging up. I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it. I walked back to my bed and gave Kaoru his phone back.

"What'd he say?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing. I tried to tell him that I still had his jacket, but he cut me off and hung up." I said. The twins looked surprised. "I know! That's not like him, is it?" I asked. They shook their heads.

"So... you and Mori skipped class?" Kaoru asked. I nodded, but he didn't seem like he believed me.

"Without Honey?" Hikaru asked. Again, I nodded.

"But Mori doesn't go anywhere without Honey. They're insepperable." Kaoru said. I shrugged, my mind still on my brief phone call. Suddenly, I had an idea. It was a stupid idea, I knew that it probably wouldn't work, but I'd made my mind up.

"It's a Saturday morning. Where would Mori most likely be?" I asked the twins. They looked at each other.

"With Honey." they answered in unison.

"Well where would Honey be, then?" I asked.

"Probably at home, eating cake." Kaoru said.

"Well come one, then!" I said, grabbing their wrists and pulling them up off the bed.

"What? Why-" Hikaru started to protest.

"Shut up." I told him. "You guys are taking me to Honey's. Now."

* * *

Half an hour later, Kaoru, Hikaru and I were being led to the Haninozuka family dojo. We stopped at the door and stood there.

"Do we knock, or what?" I asked. The twins shrugged, and Hikaru stepped forward and tapped a fist against the door. The door open, and Honey stood there, his usual adorable grin plastered across his face.

"Kaoru! Hikaru! Ari-chan!" he yelled, jumping excitedly before running over and hugging me. I smiled and hugged him back. My smile started to falter when Mori appeared in the doorway, stoic and indifferent as he always was around people.

"What are you guys doing here?" Honey asked after letting go of me.

"I kinda need to talk to Mori, and the twins told me that I could probably find him here." I explained, looking at Mori. Honey's face clouded over and he frowned.

"Oh." he said. "Come on Kaoru, Hikaru. Let's let them talk." Honey led my soon-to-be step-brothers away and I was left standing with Mori. Silently, I handed him his jacket.

"So about last night..." I started to say.

"Don't." Mori cut me off in his usual monochromatic tone. "Last night was a mistake. I'm sorry." he said, turning away and exiting the room. I stood there, stunned. _Last night was a mistake? You're sorry? _I thought. I felt like an idiot. _So hanging out with me was a mistake? Fine._ I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. When I was sure I was calm, I followed Mori's path out of the room and into a dining hall. The twin, Mori and Honey were sitting down eating cake._  
_

"You said you're favorite type of cake was chocolate, right?" Honey asked cheerfully, handing me a plate with a delicious looking slice of cake on it. I sat down and ate it without tasting it. I felt like I was on auto-pilot, making small talk with Hikaru, Kaoru and Honey while desperatly trying to avoid looking at Mori. I didn't really notice anything that was going on, being totally absorbed in my thoughts, so I was surprised to find that I was back at home in my room when Kaoru finally managed to pull me back to reality.

"What?" I asked, finally realizing that Kaoru had been speaking to me.

"Haven't you heard a word we said?" Hikaru asked, annoyed. I shook my head. Hikaru rolled his eyes and sighed.

"We were asking you what happened with Mori." Kaoru said, glaring a his brother.

"Oh...well, nothing really. I gave him his jacket and he told me that yesterday was a mistake and that he was sorry." I said, trying to mimic Mori and speak without emotion in my voice. Obviously I didn't do a very good job, because not only did Kaoru notice I was upset, but so did Hikaru.

"What do you mean '_yesterday was a mistake'_?" Hikaru asked. I shrugged. Kaoru narrowed his eyes and looked at me thoughtfully.

"Did anything happen between you and Mori?" Kaoru asked.

"We skipped school together and hung out." I said. Kaoru rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean. Anything that hinted at the prospect of 'more than friends'?" he clarified.

"Oh... I don't know. I don't think so. Maybe?" I said, thinking about our ride on the ferris wheel.

"Maybe?" Hikaru asked.

"Well... he won me the panda." I said, motioning towards the stuffed animal, sitting on my bed. "And he let me wear his jacket when I got cold. Is there a word for it when a guy has his arm around a girls shoulder?" I asked. "A side hug? Anyway, he did that while we were up on the ferris wheel. Although all of those things could have just been because he was being nice." I said. Kaoru and Hikaru just stared at me. "What?" I asked.

"What sort of side hug? Like this?" Hikaru said, sitting next to me and casually draping his arm across my shoulders.

"Or more like this?" Kaoru said, switching places with Hikaru and wrapping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him to the point that my head rested against his shoulder.

"More like the second one, but that's not really fair. I mean, I was terrified so I was kind of hugging him so I wouldn't be quite so scared." I explained.

"Why were you-" Kaoru started to ask.

"I don't like heights." I cut him off. "So what did all of those questions have to do with anything?" I asked. Kaoru and Hikaru looked at each other, then sat on either side of me.

"We think that Mori may have displayed an interest in you and that he thinks it was a mistake to do so." they said together.

"Oh." I said quietly, finally understanding.

"Are you okay?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, you're not going to start crying, are you?" Hikaru asked, sounding a little scared at the thought. I shook my head.

"Why would I cry? I had to have you guys explain that he 'displayed an interest in me'. It's not like I like him or anything. What I mean is, it's not that I don't like him as like a friend but I don't like-like him, ya know? So why should it bother me?" I asked, feeling a sense of uneasiness all the same.

"So... no crying?" Hikaru asked hopefully. I laughed and shook my head.

"What's your problem? You're not one of those guys who freak out and can't handle it when girls cry, are you?" I asked him. He blushed and looked away. I laughed and he blushed more.

"Don't worry. More than half the guys in the world have the same problem." I told him, patting his shoulder. _Mori doesn't, though,_ I thought to myself.


End file.
